Do you ever feel like there’s just too much on your plate? Between responsibilities at home, at work, and all the odd projects, we’ve all been there. It’s easy to feel like a clown in a juggling act trying just to keep the balls from dropping.
But what if I told you that sometimes it’s okay and even necessary to drop some of the balls so you can manage your life and focus on what’s important. Here’s one quick lesson I learned from one of my National Guard Colonels: Know the difference between the glass balls and rubber balls to keep your life in line.
Glass Balls
Imagine you are juggling glass balls for a minute. Kind of a scary thought. What are you afraid of? Dropping one? Come on, what’s the big deal?
You’re right. It’s obvious. If you drop a glass ball it breaks. Plain and simple it will shatter and can never be put back together. Humpty Dumpty will have a new friend.
Rubber Balls
Now imagine juggling rubber balls. Seems the pressure is less than juggling glass. Do you have the same fear of dropping them?
Not at all. They’d bounce and you wouldn’t be on the hook for broken glass. You could always pick them up later and keep juggling. No harm, no foul.
Action Steps
Pull out a sheet of paper (yes, blank paper not your phone or tablet) and write a list of everything you have going on in your life right now. Write down every project or task you need to complete. Think about home, work, or the thing that’s been keeping you up at night.
On a separate sheet of paper, write an ordered list of your priorities. If you’ve never done this before, see this post.
Your priorities list is similar to the glass balls. What happens if you don’t give your family the attention they deserve? What happens if you ignore the email from your boss? If you drop something on this list, it shatters and is difficult if not impossible to repair.
Now go through your project list. Put numbers next to the projects or tasks that align with your priorities and will get you closer to your goals. Everything without a number is a rubber ball. It’s something you can drop and come back to if you ever need to.
The trick is to eliminate all distractions from your life and focus on what’s really important. Paying attention to the glass balls in your life will strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life. It will give you focus, direction, and a sense of purpose in every action.
What changes would be possible if you filtered tasks and projects through your priorities list?
